Food Allergy Guidelines

I want to do everything possible to protect our students with severe food allergies, but I need your help.

Parents, I especially need your help. It is imperative that we communicate about your child’s allergies. I will work with you to develop a plan that accommodates you child’s needs during lunch, the classroom, and all school activities. Please provide me with written medical documentation, instructions and medications as directed by a physician, using the Food Allergy Action Plan as a guide. If your student carries an Epi-Pen, I recommend sending an extra and some Benadryl for the medicine cabinet. It is also imperative that your emergency contact information be up to date in case I need to reach you.

Parents should instruct their children regarding:safe and unsafe foodsstrategies for avoiding exposure to unsafe foodssymptoms of an allergic reactionhow and when to tell an adult they may be having an allergy related problemhow to read food labels (when age appropriate)the importance of not sharing or trading food with classmatesthe importance of good hand washing

Children with food allergies:should not trade food with othersshould not eat anything with unknown ingredients or known to contain an allergenshould be proactive in the care and management of their food allergies, based on their age and developmentshould immediately notify an adult if they eat something they believe may contain an allergen

My responsibility:be knowledgeable about federal laws as they apply to food allergiesreview health records submitted by parents and physiciansassure that all staff and faculty who interact with the student regularly understand food allergies, recognize symptoms of an allergic reaction, and knows what to do in an emergencyassure that emergency medications are appropriately stored and that an emergency kit is always available. This kit will contain an EpiPen, benadryl, and the emergency action plan signed by the child’s physician and parent. This kit will be with the child for off campus activitiesdesignate properly trained school personnel in the use of emergency medication (Epi-Pen).be prepared to handle a reaction and ensure that there is school personnel available to administer emergency medication any time during the school daydiscuss field trips in advance to decide appropriate strategies for managing the food allergyshould a reaction occur, review policies and the prevention plan with staff, parents, and the studentsupport staff in cleaning the eating surfaces after snacks and lunchsupport a student who wishes to carry his/her own emergency medication. This must be with the written approval of the student’s physician and parents. Additional emergency medication must also be kept in the medical cabinet with the School Nurse

Greenwood Christian Academy takes the measures above to control the environment for food allergic students at school for their health and safety. However, as we cannot control individual behavior at all times, we cannot guarantee 100% compliance with our policies and expectations by everyone on campus. Therefore, it is possible that contact with allergens is still possible at school in spite of policies designed to prevent such incidences. It is imperative that the entire school community embrace the measures we have put in place n order to maintain a safe environment for all of our children.

The above guidelines are adapted from work done by the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, National School Boards Association, National Association of School Nurses, National Association of Elementary School Principals, and the American School Food Service Association. The above guidelines are ones used by most private and public schools throughout the United States.